Zack's Return
by Catonis
Summary: Sequel to Love at first sight. Zack has returned after 4 years but what has changed? SEX SCENE CANCELED COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

It's that time again! Zack has returned! Anyway rated M for swearing, smoking, and possibly sex later on. Ah the 3 S's of a great story.

He walked casually into town. He was smoking a cigarette and wore a pair of dark sunglasses making it so you couldn't see his eyes which had grown considerably darker. He had a tan leather jacket and dark blue jeans on. He wore a cowboy hat, fingerless black gloves, and had a large revolver in a holster on his right thigh. It wasn't strange that nobody recognized him as he had changed greatly. He was much more muscular now. He now had much more blue on his spikes. Had he been a normal person he would have gone immediately somewhere to get something to eat, as he hadn't eaten in several days. But there was someone he needed to visit.

It was rather snowy today and he wasn't very well dressed for this sort of thing. He shivered a bit and took a large drag on his cigarette. He threw it into the snow and continued his walk. When he got to the house he knocked on the door and waited patiently for it to be opened. A young girl now at the age of 16 opened the door. "Can I help you sir?" She asked politely not remembering him. He chuckled a bit and removed his sunglasses and hat.

"I didn't think you'd remember me Rose." He said. She gasped.

"Za... Zack?" Zack smiled. Amy hugged him. "Oh Zack!" She began to cry tears of joy. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again!" They stood there for a moment before Zack motioned that they should go inside. They sat in Amy's living room on the couch. "So Zack..." She began.

"I know, you want to know where I've been for four years." He said. He inhaled deeply. "It all began with my battle with Xander..." He explained about it and she listened never moving from the spot. "So I grabbed the Zero Emerald, and absorbed it again. When I looked back, Xander's body had been disintegrated from the pressure of the dimension." He almost looked like he was going to cry and Amy rubbed his back. He regained his composure and continued. "I walked on for what seemed like an eternity. When I finally tried the one thing I could think of. I used the Zero Emerald's power to open a portal for a short time. I jumped through and found myself in Holoska. I wandered until I found a small village that took me in. I lived there for a short while and left. It turned out I had been in Dimension X for almost a year. Although to me it was only 6 hours. I wandered the world for another year so as not to attract attention to me or anyone else. After that I trained in several different martial arts and other fighting styles. And after that I came here." He finished his story and laid back on the couch. Amy took it all in and sat there with him, letting out a huge sigh.

"Well I'm just glad you're back." She said and hugged him again. After a while Amy called everyone and said to come over. She didn't tell them why but curiosity brought them all there. When they had all arrived Amy brought them into the living room and they saw Zack, smoking again.

"Who's the new guy Amy?" Sonic asked. She giggled a bit.

"Who disappeared four years ago?" She said. All of their eyes opened wide.

"You mean..." Sonic started. Amy nodded and they all began asking questions. Zack told his story again.

"Alright guys I've told you what happened these last few years, now it's your turn to tell me." They understood and explained what happened to Mobius.

"Well." Sonic began. "Silver and Blaze had went out on a few dates and became a couple." Blaze blushed and Silver rubbed the back of his head. "Shadow and Rouge refuse to admit it but they've hooked up too." Shadow rolled his eyes. "And I notice Tails and Cream are spending a bit more time together." He nudged Zack and Zack laughed.

"Ah to be young and in love." Zack said. Tails shot Sonic a dirty look but he ignored it.

"Anyways other then that not a lot has changed." Sonic finished up. Zack finished his cigarette and sighed.

"I gotta go home guys, I haven't slept in a while." Zack said yawning.

"See you tomorrow then." Amy said. They all waved goodbye and he walked out the door. When he went home he checked his calender. It was only 8 days away from Christmas! Zack slapped his forehead.

"God Dammit!" He yelled out loud. He didn't have a present for any of his friends. He thought about it and decided to take a nap before trying to think too hard about it. When he awoke it was 6:30 the next morning. He had just enough time to take a shower and eat before he had to go to the mall.

When he got there he was surrounded by last-minute shoppers. He quickly found the pinkest store in the mall knowing the perfect gift for Amy would be there. He found her a red dress with a rose pattern on it and a blue rose hair clip. For Sonic he went to a sports store and bought some weights for his speed training. For Shadow he got the newest CD for his favorite band. He got Knuckles a punching bag, Tails some new tools, Rouge a bottle of expensive perfume, Cream a sweater, Silver the newest book in his favorite series, and Blaze new bracelets. After he finished he bought some wrapping paper and went home. He wrapped up the presents and collapsed on his couch. He had spent $365 and 4 ½ hours at the mall. But he was finally done.

Well it's a little short but hey, it'll get better. Read and Review!

OR ELSE!!!!!  
I'll do... Something....


	2. Chapter 2 Getting back together

Chapter 2 is here! Might be a few chapters before you know what though.  
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Zack awoke at noon the next day. He must have been more tired then he thought. He should call Amy soon. He grabbed a piece of toast, put it in the toaster, and dialed Amy's cellphone number. She picked up and they chatted for a while as Zack ate. They decided to meet up in the meadow and have a small picnic later. Zack hung up and cleaned his plate off. He went to his garage and sure enough, there, sitting in the midst of dust and cobwebs, was his guitar. He picked it up and brought it to his living room. He got a rag and cleaned it off. Ah the memories it brought back. He had a huge feeling of nostalgia as he cleaned it and had a flashback to a younger him doing the same thing. He sighed and pulled out a cigarette. He lit it and thought of the many things that had happened. His older brother, killed with his own hands. Before he knew it, he was crying. He wondered how his brother Dylan was doing.

Dylan was his only other sibling and was about 3 years younger then he was. Dylan had always been quiet. In fact it was a miracle if you heard him say anything all day. He chuckled a bit. But when Dylan was just around Xander and Zack himself, he was a total chatterbox. At age 15 Xander left home. Zack at this time was 13. And Dylan was 10. They had stayed up all night waiting for him to return home but he never did. The next morning he and Dylan left early to try and find him. But they didn't and when they got home, their parents were gone. There was no note, no trace of anything. They figured their parents had gone out and forgotten to leave a note. Dylan and Zack did everything they would do normally. But after three days they realized that they weren't coming back. Zack managed to keep them afloat by doing various odd jobs around town. If one of those officials ever came they would hide in the closet, not wanting to be separated or sent to an orphanage.

This lifestyle kept up for about 4 months until the house was searched and they were found. They lived at an orphanage for about 3 weeks until Dylan was adopted. He begged, screamed, and ran, but they got him. Zack hadn't seen him since.

Zack took the final drag on his cigarette and threw it away. He held the guitar on his knee and played a few notes. He was a little rusty but it was nothing a little practice couldn't fix. Which reminded him that he should visit his old band again. He checked his watch. There was time before he was going to meet with Amy so he might as well. Zack put his hat and sunglasses again and walked downtown. He knocked on the door of Julie's apartment and talked to her for a while when she opened. She called the other bandmates and they all met up and shared stories. Apparently Julie and Rory had hooked up. Johnny however had that I-don't-need-to-tell-you attitude. They scheduled a jam session for next week and Zack left.

It was nice to see those guys again. He decided he would need to get them something too. He ran to a music store and bought them some cleaning stuff, picks, cords, and other things a musician would need. He brought them home and before he had time to wrap them he needed to meet with Amy. He left the stuff on his couch and made his way to the meadow.

The place was quite beautiful. He was surprised it wasn't constantly filled with people. Amy was sitting with a small blanket and basket in the middle of a clearing and waved to him. Zack waved back, smiling. They both sat and Zack told her about seeing the band again. She listened and pulled out the food. There was sandwiches, salad, a small cake for dessert, and a few bottles of water. They sat happily eating and talking. It was a beautiful sight. "So Zack?" Amy began. Zack swallowed something he was chewing and answered.

"Yeah?" Was there something wrong?

"So you traveled the world for a while right?"

"Uh huh..." _Uh oh. What's she gonna ask?_ Zack thought.

"Did you uh... Meet anyone?" Zack scratched the back of his head and looked a bit to the side.

"It kinda depends on what you mean." Zack said after a moment.

"Well... You still a virgin?" She raised her eyebrow. Zack turned dark red.

"Promise not to tell?" He said. Amy nodded. "Well to be honest, no, not anymore." Amy's eyes grew huge. "You mad at me?"

"No I'm just kind of surprised really. So who was she?"

"Well her name was Sheila. I met her in a small Arabian kind of village that was constantly a battleground. When I wandered in there, I was starving, and thirsty, and she took me in. She fed me, and made me feel like I had a home, if only for a little while. When it was time for me to leave I asked if there was any way I could repay her, and one thing led to another, and well..." Amy listened through the whole thing.

"So that's how you repayed her?" Amy asked. Zack nodded, still blushing.

"And actually, not long after I left, the whole town was bombed and destroyed." Zack looked a little sad. "Well anyway what's the sudden interest in my sex life?" Amy shrugged.

"Just thought I should know. I am your girlfriend you know." She said. Zack rolled his eyes.

"Really? I hadn't noticed." Amy giggled a bit.

They finished their food and packed up. It was almost 5:00 by now and they walked, holding each other, to Amy's house. Zack stayed for a while and then left. They talked about having a sleepover at Zack's house with some friends. Zack said it was okay and left not long after.

Amy sighed and sat back in a chair. Why was she so interested in his sex life? _Well as some people might say, I'm getting to that age. _She thought. She hoped this wouldn't interfere with her and Zack's relationship. She fell asleep on the couch trying to keep these things off her mind.  
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Kind of short again but I think this turned out well.  
I think you know where this story is going eh?

R&R!!!!!  
=P


	3. Chapter 3 Zack's addiction

Part 3!!! *echoes*  
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Amy yawned as she sat in bed. She felt a little sick for some reason. She tried to get up but was rather wobbly. She sat back into bed and called Zack. He had said he'd had some medical training so it couldn't hurt. "Hey Zack." Amy said in a rather raspy voice. She had coughed a few times so her throat was dry.

"Something wrong?" He sounded worried.

"I think I might be a little sick." She replied coughing again.

"Well don't worry I'll be over in a minute and see what I can do." Zack hung up and Amy did the same. Zack got there not too long after the call and used Amy's spare key to get in. He brought her a bottle of water, some cold medicine, a thermometer, and several other small things. Zack held his hand to Amy's forehead. "Oh geez Amy. You're burning up." He gave her the thermometer and she put in under her tongue. "I'll be back in a minute okay? Just get some rest." Amy nodded and fell back onto her bed.

Zack closed her door slowly and lightly. He stepped outside into the blizzard-like weather. He slowly fell back against the wall. He took out a cigarette and lit it. A single tear ran down his face and he brushed it away. He stuck the cigarette in his mouth and inhaled the addicting substance into his lungs. He had started smoking about 7 months ago. About the time people started calling him #13. Many called him that due to the fact that whenever he was around someone something bad happened. _I just hope this isn't like that._ Zack thought while finishing the last of his cigarette. He stomped it out and went back inside. He coughed a bit and spit out some phlegm into the sink. He went back to look at Amy's temperature and it was riding on 112 Fahrenheit.

She laid back looking into Zack's eyes. He stared right back at her sympathetically. Zack rubbed her back and took out some medicine. He had her swallow a spoonful of the thick, disgusting, substance. Amy quickly grabbed her water bottle and drowned out the taste. Zack told her he'd be back in a little while and to get lots of rest. When he stepped outside of her house once again he was tempted to go back and soothe her, to stay with her, until she got better. But he knew better. There were still things he needed to do. He went to the bank and checked his account. Over time his deposit grew from the interest. He withdrew some of it and went to the mini-mart across the street. He bought a pack of cigarettes and stuck them into his pocket. He made his way to a small alleyway and waited. If memory served, _he_ should be here.

It took about 15 minutes but he came. The man wore a trench coat and a mask that was half black and half white, split vertically across it. You couldn't see his face, or most of his other features. He had leather boots, jeans, gloves, yep, he was pretty much covered. All one could see was his eyes. One dark brown, one ice blue. They called him the Jester. Nobody knew who he was, all they knew was that he had connections. Weapons, drugs, gangs, he had everything. And all without showing his face. "Were you followed?" Jester asked. Zack shook his head. "So what are you looking for?"

"I think you know." The Jester's smile was hidden behind his mask. He took out a small bag.

"This is what you're talking about?" He shook the bag and you could here a sound resembling two rocks hitting each other.

"I want to see them first." Zack said. Jester nodded.

"Of course." He opened the bag and took out several rocks that were blood red. Zack grabbed one. "Go ahead, try it. I'd only offer the best to you." Zack looked at it and took a bite. The rock broke fairly easily. It was definitely better then any he had, had previously. He savored the taste, the feeling of having it in his mouth. When it he finally swallowed it he took out his stack of money.

"How much?"

"A hundred." Zack looked surprised at this offer and handed him some 10's.

"You're being awfully generous toady aren't you?" Zack said taking the bag. "I thought blood rubies were extremely rare."

"Yes well," The Jester nodded. "think of it as a little gift for your coming back to town. And besides, I want to be sure you'll come back." He grinned once more and faded back into the shadows. Zack walked away, feeling the bag in his pocket.

Ever since his time with Sheila in which he had first been introduced to blood rubies, he had been addicted. Cigarettes were something he could go without, he enjoyed them, but they weren't a necessity. Blood rubies on the other hand, were something he couldn't go without. Sheila had offered him one and to be polite he tried it. It was hard to eat but it had something... He had been around the block a couple times, he had done about every drug out there, but blood rubies were different. He had crazed over them for a while, and Sheila had to keep him tied down, and the blood rubies hidden. Once he had calmed down he ate them as much as he could afford to. They were supposedly filled with hardened dragon's blood. But as he journeyed on his supply grew smaller and smaller and there seemed to be fewer people who had them. Eventually he ate only one a day, then one a week, then one every two weeks, until he ran out. He had slowly lost all his energy and stopped going as far every day, needing to rest every little while. He had heard about the Jester from several friends he had made when he had revealed his addiction. The Jester happened to reside in Mobius. And he was also the biggest dealer of blood rubies. His were always high quality. He thought over the many times he had been greedy and chowed down on them. He just hoped Amy didn't find out.

He got to his house and ate a couple of blood rubies before putting them in a secret compartment in his wall where he kept his valuables. He rushed to Amy's again and stepped, silent as a cat, into her room. She had fallen asleep. She looked so cute when she slept. Her face looked so peaceful. He pushed a strand of her pink hair out of her face and smiled. He kissed her on the forehead and left a note saying to call if she needed him.

There's part 3 eh?

Next chapter or the one after will be the one you're all looking for.

I'd appreciate if you'd R&R!


	4. Chapter 4 Everything Burns

Okay let's see how this turns out. Chapter 4!

WARNING! If Tails or Silver our your favorite sonic characters you may be shocked, offended, or saddened!

Amy opened her eyes slowly. She was a bit groggy but felt better. She looked over and saw a note on her desk. It read:

_Call me if you need anything Amy. Get lots of rest. Love, Zack_

She set it down and laid back. With Zack back in town everything was great again. She felt safe, happy. The phone rang and she sat up and grabbed it. "Hello?"

Zack sat on his couch. His head hurt and he felt like he hadn't gotten any sleep. He must have had 1 too many blood rubies. He had really pigged out last night. His phone rang and he picked up. "Zack Haven."

"Zack!" It was Amy. She sounded like she had been crying.

"Amy? What's the matter?" Zack said.

"Zack I need you to get over here right away."

"I'll be right over." He hung up and quickly put on his jacket and hat. He ran as fast as he could to Amy's house and opened up the door. He was panting and saw all of his friends sitting in the living room, most crying. Everyone was there... Except Tails. "Guys... What happened?" Amy ran up to him and held him tightly.

"Zack," She took a deep breath. "Tails was... Oh god." She hugged him tighter and Zack rubbed her back and shushed her. He understood. Tails was gone.

"How did it happen?" Zack asked her. He needed to know.

"He... He was found this morning, at his house..." Sonic stepped in.

"According to the police, someone hit him over the head to knock him out, hung him from the ceiling, and stabbed him to death." Everybody shook at the mention of this. Zack couldn't even imagine anyone doing that, and not to someone like Tails. Who could have something against him? The boy hadn't done anything wrong in his life. Eggman retired not long after his last attempt at taking over the world and was now a successful manager of a grocery store in central square. Who could've done this?

They all sat for a while in silence, grieving over their dead friend. After a while they got a call saying that they were going to be questioned at the police station. A detective asked them several questions such as was there anyone who hated Tails. Afterwards they were sent home.

Zack and Amy both went to Zack's house and watched TV for a while. Amy was crying silently for a while at first. Zack held her the whole time. Amy said that she was going to go home and Zack saw her out. He sat back down when she left. He took out a cigarette. He was about to light it but stopped and looked at it. He threw away his whole pack and his lighter. He grabbed his bag of blood rubies out of the secret cabinet in his wall. He took one out and looked at it. It was a misshapen jewel if you just looked at it. But this stone's taste made it extremely addictive. There was no way to describe the experience. He ate one and sighed. He put them back and looked at himself in the mirror.

His eyes were red. He had bags under his eyes. Tails' death was extremely tolling on everyone. He had a very bad feeling that he might have done something he would regret. He laid down for a while but couldn't sleep despite the fact that it was 10:00. He put on some shorts and a black tank top and went down to his basement. He put on his boxing gloves and went to work at the punching bag. He hit as hard as he could, jabbing, hooking, taking out all his anger and sadness. He literally broke the punching bag off of it's chain. He gasped for air after being so absorbed in his session. He made a mental note to fix it tomorrow.

He went back to bed and passed out from exhaustion. When he awoke it was noon. He decided to let everyone have the day off to grieve over Tails. The funeral was going to be next week. He needed someone to talk to. He picked up the phone and started dialing it. "Hello?" was the answer he got.

"Hey Julie."

"Zack?" She asked. "What's up? The jam session's a day away."

"I know but," He paused. "I really need someone to talk to right now."

"Sure thing. I'll meet you at the park okay?" Julie told him.

"Thanks Julie." Zack hung up. He put on his usual clothes and left.

He walked silently, watching those around him. Everyone was living their happy lives while his was going downhill. When he got to the park he saw Julie sitting on a bench waiting for him. She wore tan cargo pants, and a black tank top. He sat down next to her. They were silent for a moment. "So Zack?" Julie asked.

"Yeah?"

"What happened?" Zack sighed. He explained the story about Tails' murder, Julie's mouth open the whole time in horror. "Zack that's horrible." She said.

"I know. I figured everyone needed a day or two so you're pretty much the only person I can talk to."

"Zack I'm so sorry." She patted him on the back. "You wanna get something to drink?" Zack nodded.

"Y...Yeah sure." They walked together to the same restaurant he had been to with Amy 4 years ago. They were sat in the same table, after catching up with Cresenscio of course. They both ordered a drink and talked for a while. They tried to keep away from the topic of Tails' murder but kept coming back to it. They decided to try and find a gig to come back with and play a few songs for Tails.

The two finished their drinks and paid the bill. They went their separate ways at the door. Zack walked home in a bit of a happier mood. At least there were people he could talk to. He made his way home and sat down. He decided to go and fix his punching bag before calling Amy. He looked at the chain and it was broken clean off. He grabbed some duct tape and taped it up at all angles if only as a temporary fix.

Zack made his way upstairs and pulled off his clothes. He sat on his bed in his boxers and a wife beater and picked up his phone. It was about 7:30 so Amy was probably about to go to bed by now. He dialed the number and waited. It just kept ringing. Something was wrong. Amy always answered his calls. He hung up. Then he froze. In his mind he saw a horrible image. Amy splattered on a wall. He rushed to put on his clothes. He ran to her house and knocked on the door. She answered. Zack fell back against the wall. "Oh thank god Amy you're okay." Amy looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know I... I've just been kind of paranoid today. I'll see you tomorrow okay?" He said.

"Yeah okay Zack." Amy shut the door and Zack walked back home. He bit his lip. He had a very bad feeling. A feeling that something very bad was going to happen. And it would be his fault.

There was about 3 days until Christmas so he thought he should decorate. He put up some lights around the house and a giant inflatable Santa in the front yard. But there was something missing... A Christmas tree! The snow had melted over the past few days since he got here. There had been strange weather here over the last 2 or 3 years. The forest had plenty of good pine trees so he left to go there with an ax. After wandering for a while he found a nice looking tree and went to work.

Swinging the heavy ax at the trunk of tree he began to sweat. The day was sunny and the sun beat on his fur. He stopped for a moment panting, and threw off his jacket. Continuing to chop at the tree he sensed something behind him. He continued his efforts trying to ignore it. The last time he had sensed something behind him was 4 years ago and he nearly shot Amy. However the feeling kept returning to his mind. He casually held the ax in one hand and wiped his forehead with the other. Zack slowly reached for his revolver, which never left his side.

The sound of footsteps approaching behind his back grew steadily louder. Then he heard a branch snap and immediately dropped the ax and struck. In one quick movement he turned, grabbed the gun out of the opponents hand, pushed the assailant back, dropped the magazine of the gun, pulled the slide back, threw the gun, and pointed his revolver at the now fallen enemy.

The assassin was sitting on the ground staring down the barrel of the revolver. He was a light brown hedgehog wearing a red bandanna on his head, a white vest with flames on it, light blue shorts, and red sneakers. The hedgehog's eyes were a bright yellow, and he had a scar running from the center of his chin to his left cheek. He looked to be maybe a year or two older then Zack. And he seemed to be smiling a bit. "I see you're doing just fine." The boy said getting up. Zack recognized him quickly afterwards and lowered his gun.

"Axel? What are you doing here man? I haven't seen you in forever!" Zack said. He had met Axel in a southern country in his travels.

"Oh ya know, job opportunities, good neighborhood..." Axel said sarcastically rolling his eyes. "Anyway I figured I should visit you and your girlfriend. You've told me _so _much about this place I had to see it for myself." Zack laughed a little.

"Alright man sorry about that." Zack picked up the gun and magazine and handed them back to Axel. "Why'd you sneak up on me anyway?"

"Just wanted to see if you were as sharp as before. You pulled the same trick on me before remember?" Axel said. Zack had a quick flashback of him doing the same thing before when he and Axel first met and Axel was still a petty criminal on the streets. Through his time with Zack he had reversed his ways completely and began helping those around him.

"Yeah. Anyhow I'll talk to you later okay? I've got to get this tree for Christmas." Axel nodded and waved as he walked away. Zack turned back to the tree and picked up his ax.

Zack looked over the tree. It wasn't too big but it was fairly large and healthy-looking. He put on his jacket and laid his ax against another tree. He would come back for it later. Zack took a deep breath and lifted the tree over his shoulders. He walked his way home with the tree. He was sweating by the time he got home and set down the tree to open the door. He slid sideways through the door and set the tree down in his corner and went to get something to put it in. Zack went into his dusty, cobweb-filled, attic. He looked into a few boxes before finding the decorations for the tree. He grabbed the bottom piece and walked back up the stairs. He picked up the tree and set it into the base he grabbed. The tree sat in his living room in the corner next to the fireplace. It looked good and it would be time to decorate tomorrow.

He walked to the phone and looked at the answering machine. 1 new message it said. He checked it. "Hey Zack." It was Amy. "I'm just seeing if you're there I was hoping we could hook up later. Bye!" Zack slapped himself. He was supposed to meet Amy. It was only 2:30 so he had time. He grabbed his jacket and hat as usual and walked out the door. He got to Amy's house a moment later.

Zack knocked on the door until she opened it. "Hey Zack." She said inviting him in.

"Hey Amy. Sorry I'm so late. I cut down a Christmas tree by hand and caught up with an old friend so I was a little busy." Zack said. He took off his hat.

"No problem I'm just glad you could come." They both sat on the couch and Zack took a deep breath.

"Amy I've been having really bad feelings lately. Ever since Tails, thoughts have been eating away at my brain. Amy I have to get going pretty soon but I want you to call the others and schedule a meeting at my house tomorrow okay?" Amy nodded knowing what he meant. Zack left shortly after. Amy stood by the window watching his hunched figure walking away. She picked up the phone and started dialing Sonic's number.

Zack continued his walk watching everyone around him. There were few he could trust aside from his friends. For all he knew any one of these people could have killed Tails. When he got home he walked into the backyard and put several soda cans on the fence. He pulled out his revolver and readied himself.

He slid each of the long, slender, bullets into their chambers. 6 bullets. Often not considered the best gun for skirmishes, the revolver only held 6 shots and needed to be manually reloaded each time. However it had always drawn his interest. His revolver was a classic Colt .45 Single Action Army. Single Action meaning each time you pulled back the hammer you could only fire one shot before having to pull the hammer back again. The SAA was all black, with an 8-inch barrel for added accuracy. The sight,while not affective in close range battles, was custom making easier to hit from a distance. The grip was a high-quality rubber. And the whole thing had been polished to a mirror sheen. It was his weapon of choice by far.

He slowly put the revolver next to his side and put his other hand at the hammer. Moving completely in sync with each other his right hand pulled on the trigger and took the recoil of the shots while his left smacked the hammer down each time. When he had fired all 6 shots he put the revolver back into it's holster. He checked the cans. Right through the middle of each one. He smiled. He had been told he was a sharpshooter since Axel had first introduced him to the revolver. At the time he had met Axel he was using a MK23 Semi Automatic pistol. However during his and Axel's first confrontation it had jammed on him leaving Axel to attack him though Axel had still lost. After they had become friends Axel showed him that he was better suited to a revolver anyway.

_Ah the memories this brings back. _Zack thought as he gathered the cans and set new ones. He emptied the shells out of the chambers, put in new ones, with new bullets, and readied himself again. He continued his practice for a while before finally quitting and going back inside. He pulled the blood rubies once again out of the wall and ate several. After these stressful few days he needed them. He fell asleep to a news report on TV not long after.

He awoke to a loud knock at his door. Zack saw the clock that said 7:49 and rushed down to the door. He opened it to find Sonic outside his door. He looked sad and serious at the same time. Zack shook himself and got his jacket and hat on. "Let's go." He said. They ran side-by-side to Sonic's house where everyone was according to Sonic. They busted through the door and found the same scene as before in the main room. Zack scanned the room. Who was it now? "Guys?" He looked at everyone. "Who was it?" He looked over and finally saw Blaze. Sitting alone. Zack stood for a moment. "Silver..." He said quietly. Several police officers stepped in from the kitchen. They stared straight at Zack. Everyone else looked at the ground.

"Yes." One of the officers said. "Silver the hedgehog. And we believe you know what happened." This struck a nerve in Zack's mind.

"HOW THE HELL SHOULD I KNOW?!" The officer put on a pair of gloves and pulled out an ax from behind him. The same ax he had been cutting the tree with.

"This was the tool used to kill Silver. And it has your fingerprints all over it." Zack was stunned. Someone had set him up.

"No... It wasn't me..." The other officer held up a pair of handcuffs. Zack began crying. He couldn't have. He ran out the door and rushed his way down the street.

"Go after him!" The first officer said. He picked up his radio and called for backup. Zack just kept running he had never run so hard and fast in his life. He was chased by police and shot several times. He kept running, blood dripping down his body. He jumped across the hood of a police car and continued to keep his pace. He made it to the forest before he had to stop. He collapsed against a tree and gasped for air. Zack threw up on the ground and leaned back against the tree, a mixture of tears and blood running down his face.

There were footsteps of the police approaching again. He had no chance. He got up and continued to run. He made it back into the city and turned a corner pushing past crowds of people. Zack's mind was blank. All he could think was: Run. He turned and ran into a building. Zack found the stairs and ran to the top, the cops following closely behind. He got to the top and opened the door leading to the roof. He shut the door on one of the cops and made his way to the edge of the roof. He must have been at least 6 stories high. There was a large spiked fence below. The officers smashed through the door. Zack steppe to the edge and looked down. He took a deep breath. And fell back. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. He was falling straight down. Zack saw all of his friends, some civilians, and the police. His life flashed before his eyes. _It's kinda weird. I always promised myself I'd die laughing. _And it was over. All anyone could see was him stabbed into the fence. His face in a slight smile, his eyes wide open.

"Mr. Haven!" The officer yelled. Zack came back to his senses. It was only in his head. _I guess my brain's trying to tell me something. _He thought. Zack sighed and asked if he could talk to his friends for a moment before coming with them. They agreed and waited by the door. Zack turned back to everyone.

"You guys believe me right?" They all looked away. "Right?" Zack turned to Amy. "Amy?" She turned her head down, crying. Zack hugged her and began walking to the door. The officers led him outside where the cops handcuffed him and sat him in the police car. They had confiscated his revolver. They were driving him to the police station to be locked up until his prosecution. Zack smiled in a devilish way that no one would have seen him ever. Everything was going as planned.

_______________________________________________________________________

DANG that's a lot! I fit plenty into this chapter didn't I?  
You know it was hard to decide who to kill off. I still feel a little sad for killing Silver.

Anyhow, R&R!


	5. Chapter 5 Everything Burns part 2

Chapter 5. Plot twists up the ass!

Zack waited for both of the officers to look away and pulled his arms over his legs so they were in front of him. He reached into a hollow part of his sleeve that held a pin and a micro-bomb. He made sure the cops weren't looking and took the pin in his teeth and worked at his handcuffs until he managed to get them off. He took the micro-bomb and smiled. He set it for about a minute and waited. He pretended to still be handcuffed and awaited his arrival to the police station. 20 seconds left. The station came into view. Zack acted as fast as he could. In a quick motion he opened the door, tucked his head into his chest, and rolled out of the way. The car began to come to a stop but just as it did, the micro-bomb exploded.

Chunks of the car flew everywhere in a fiery explosion. Zack sat back on the ground. He smiled once more. He chuckled as he dusted himself off. Zack looked through the remains until he found what was left of the revolver. He sighed and threw it to the ground. Guess he was on his own for this one. He cracked his neck and his left arm grew a claws and he summoned a large double-edged sword which he held in his right. Zack rested the sword on his shoulder and many people from all around including police officers. Zack smiled again. This was about to get fun.

Amy sat at home crying. The others had gone home a while ago. Would Zack really do such a thing? _I don't know. If someone had asked me this yesterday I would've kicked their ass for even thinking of it but now... _She stuffed her face into her pillow. Amy's phone rang. She saw on the caller ID that it was Sonic. "What do you want Sonic?" She said sadly.

"Amy! Turn the TV to channel 4!" Amy was confused. She did so and gasped. It showed a news flash of Zack killing people downtown. Zack lifted a man into the air, impaled on his sword. He looked right at the cameraman. His face in a sinister grin, covered with blood. He rushed at the camera and it went offline leaving the channel to go back to the news anchors. Amy left her phone on the floor, and began running in the direction of downtown.

Dead bodies littered the street. Blood was everywhere. Zack had almost killed everyone there. Still he laughed and laughed as he did it. Amy was gasping as she ran towards Zack and hugged him from behind. She was crying. "Why Zack?" Zack slowly pulled himself out of her grasp. He smiled warmly. The way she remembered. For a moment she thought he was back to normal. But he raised his sword.

"I understand Amy. You deserve death just as well as any of these people." Her eyes grew wide in terror as his sword raised into the air, the warm smile still on Zack's face. Her friends got there a moment to late. Amy closed her eyes. There was the sound of a gunshot. She wasn't dead. She opened her eyes and saw... Zack? A second one. The Zack that had been trying to kill her now had a bullet hole in his left shoulder and held it. Everyone looked and saw another Zack, holding his revolver. This Zack had several cuts on his face and was covered in dry blood. He was wearing a black tank-top rather then his usual jacket and what he was wearing was ripped.

The second Zack smiled and holstered the gun. "Kept you waiting didn't I?" Amy nearly broke out in tears at the sight of him. It was the real Zack. The fake Zack tilted his head and put a devilish grin on his face. His clawed arm stretched and grew reaching for the real Zack. "I think not." Zack said sidestepping the attack. The other became enraged and pulled back the arm just before Zack had time to cut it off with the sword previously on his back. Zack put the sword on his back again. He sighed. "C'mon now. Do you really think you can win? All you are is a cheap knockoff." This enraged the fake further causing him to throw the sword at Zack which he caught and threw to the gorund behind him.

The fake charged at Zack screaming. Before Zack could even draw his gun it had evaporated into thin air, dropping a black emerald with an orange roman numeral 4 on it. Everyone was shocked. In the air flapping large dragon wings, was Jester. He wore a large black cloak that covered most of his body and his usual mask. "Looks like that one had somewhat recessive genes." He said floating to ground level before pulling his wings back into his body. Everyone rushed to Zack's side.

"What do you mean Jester? What was that?" Zack asked him in a demanding voice.

"Well..." The Jester chuckled for a moment. "You." Zack was confused for a moment. His eyes grew wide.

"No..."

"I'm afraid so." The Jester said. He picked up the emerald left behind by the fake Zack. "That Zack was formed from the blood rubies you consumed. You see, each one you ate gave that fake a little more power." He put the emerald in his cloak. "Honestly I thought you'd see it coming." He laughed aloud. "The mask, the cloak, the creepy voice... I thought you'd be able to put 2 and 2 together Zack. You kind of disappointed me actually. I was hoping for some epic battle of the ages. Yet it came to this." He turned so he was facing away from Zack and friends.

"Well let's have it now." Zack said. "There's no point in waiting anymore is there?" Zack took out his sword and gun. Jester laughed.

"Some other time. Right now I have things to do. Be sure to chow down on those blood rubies. That last clone had recessive genes. You know, out of every 300 clones only 1 or 2 are acceptable." Jester said. "Regardless, I bid you farewell." He brought out his wings and began to float into the air. Shadow took out a gun but Zack signaled to put it away. The Jester bowed in midair and flew away.

Zack sighed and pulled out a cigarette. He took a drag and exhaled. "Quitting really isn't very easy you know that?" Everyone looked at Zack who stood there, cool as a cucumber, smoking his cigarette. Zack watched until both Jester disappeared from his view, and he'd finished his cigarette. He stomped it out on the ground and smiled happily. "So. Who wants pizza?"

I've noticed I keep writing plot. Whatever as long as people like it eh?

R&R!


	6. Chapter 6 Everything Burns p3

THIS IS SPARTA!!!!!!!!!

They all sat at a round table in the back of a Sparta's pizza restaurant. Zack leaning back, munching on pepperoni pizza, the others just watching him. How could he be so calm? Zack sighed when he had finished his slice. "So what's up?" He said. His left eye had a large cut over it and was now closed and beginning to scar that way. Sonic got outraged by this comment.

"What do you think?!" He said in a somewhat loud voice. Thankfully the restaurant was mostly empty and they were alone in the back. Zack got a serious look on his face. He leaned forward on the table.

"Look guys. This is my problem. I don't need you getting involved." Amy put her hand over his.

"Zack we're you're friends. We want to help you." Zack pulled away and stood up.

"Every time I get close to someone, they either die... Or turn on me. I don't need that happening again. Not this time." Zack got up and sheathed his sword and revolver, which had been sitting next to him. He walked out the door. The sky was now pouring rain, whereas only moments ago the sky had been clear. Zack pulled up the hood that was on the back of his tank top and walked slowly away. _It's not a wonder I'm called 13._

Amy sat with the others, most still in shock. Her heart felt like it had been snapped in half. Had she lost him forever? Without thinking she ran out into the rain, her face more wet from tears then the rain, and chased after him. She ran, the tears blinding her. Amy had to catch him, to hold him tight, to make sure everything was alright, to love him. She saw his hunched figure along the edge of her vision and ran as fast as she could. Amy grabbed him from behind, holding him as tight as she could. "I love you Zack. Don't leave me. Please..." Zack pulled out of her grasp and looked at her. He just looked at her with those, sad, sad eyes.

"That's the problem Amy. Think about this: You can complain that roses have thorns, or you can rejoice that thorns have roses." He began walking again. Amy stood there, sad, cold, and worst of all, alone.

Zack stepped into his home and looked at the gifts he had placed under the Christmas tree. One for everybody. He took each of the gifts and put them into a bag. He put each of the gifts on the respective owners doorsteps. He went back home. Zack pulled his guitar out of the corner. He sat back on his couch and lit a cigarette. He played the guitar, not looking at it, out of memory. He sung the lyrics to himself. He knew what he had to do. Zack set the guitar down. Going over to his safe he removed the few remaining blood rubies and smashed them into bits before throwing them away. He turned on the news. It had been about half an hour since his encounter with Amy. It was a news flash. He stomped out his cigarette and paid close attention. Big the Cat had been murdered as well as Knuckles. He ran to get his phone.

Amy found her way home. No expression in her face, no thoughts in her head. There was only sorrow. Her cell phone rang. She answered. "Hello?" Amy said weakly.

"Amy!" It was Zack. "Amy listen, Big and Knuckles were just murdered." Amy froze at that point. "Listen very closely. I want you to come to my house, and lock the door behind you. Lock all the doors and windows, and go down to my basement. Behind the shelf is a tunnel. Take it as far as it goes and wait for me there. Okay?"

"But Zack..."

"Just do it Amy!" Zack yelled. He hung up as did she. Amy rushed in the direction of Zack's house. When she got there she did just as Zack told her. She found the secret passage and followed it to a concrete room and shut the door. There were several chairs, a couch, and a bed. She laid on the bed, waiting for Zack. She knew he would come, but when? She slowly dozed off. When Amy awoke everybody was sitting around the table in the middle discussing something.

"Did I miss something?" Amy said, sitting up.

"Yeah Amy. You missed a lot." Zack replied. He explained that monsters had spread out and taken over the city. They had come from a portal that had appeared suddenly from the middle of the city. The citizens had been advised to stay in their homes although many had been killed, and the monsters now patrolled the streets. A small TV sat on the edge of the table and it had the news playing. Zack stood. "Well now is as good a time as ever." He walked over to the door and opened a small pad next to it. He entered a code and the wall next to it opened into a small walk-in closet. Zack turned to the others, who were staring. "You wouldn't believe how much I payed for this place."

Everyone stood next to the closet. It was filled with racks of guns, boxes of bullets and grenades, and other things. Zack hand picked several things and brought them into the main room, where he placed them on the table. "We're going to launch an assault. Now first of all I need to tell you about these monsters. During my stay in Dimension X I occasionally encountered them. They are completely immune to physical attacks. If you try, they'll try to latch onto you so as to make you their new host. They'll slowly drain all of your life force and then dispose of you. The Zero Emerald managed to keep me safe from this but you'll all be killed if you try. Thus we're going to try something else. I've picked out several things I've prepared for just such an occasion."

"Don't tell me you were expecting this!" Sonic said.

"Okay but I'd be lying." Zack replied. "Anyhow, the first thing I'd like to bring to your attention is these." He held up several headsets. "These will be used to communicate with one another." He handed one out to everybody. "Now on to the weapons." The first one he grabbed was a large rifle with a scope on it. He handed it to Shadow.

"What's this?" Shadow asked.

"A Mosin Nagant rifle. I've attached a sniper scope for your job. I've also modified your headset so that it will block out the sounds around you more effectively, seeing as the Mosin Nagant is a very loud rifle. It's bolt action, so you'll have to work the bolt after every shot. You'll also have to load it manually so I've prepared a bag of bullets." He held up a leather messenger bag which Shadow strung over himself. "I also put a few smoke grenades on there just in case."

"What do you mean, 'just in case'?" Shadow asked.

"Sniping is a very dangerous art Shadow. I'd do it myself if I didn't have a more important job to do. Okay. Now for Sonic." Zack grabbed two pistols and a bulky vest with many pockets on it. "For you I've got two Desert Eagle pistols. They're very powerful so you'll be experiencing a lot of kick back. I've also put some extra magazines in this battle vest if you need them." Sonic took the pistols and put them in the holsters on the vest. "And also I've got this for you." Zack gave Sonic an AK-47. "I need one of the girls to look after Cream." Amy raised her hand.

"I'll do it." She said. Zack let out a huge sigh.

"That's good. I didn't want you out there anyway. But in case something does happen, here." He held out his revolver. "Use it only for emergencies." Amy nodded. "Alright. Blaze I know you've got your powers but if they fail, or they don't affect the monsters, as I've predicted," Blaze looked mad at that comment. "Here." He held up a handgun and a sub-machine gun. "I've got a .45 USP pistol, and a P-90. They're both very light weapons, so you should be able to quickly move but you won't do very much damage." Blaze held the P-90 and put the USP in a holster that Zack gave her also. "Finally, Rouge." Zack took out a Mk22 pistol. "It's a Mark 22 Hush puppy pistol. I've fitted it with a suppressor. It doesn't have much power but it'll do." Rouge took it.

Zack put his sword on his back. "My friend Axel will meet us at our destination. Let's move out." Everybody began walking towards the door. Zack looked back at Amy and smiled as he waved goodbye.

"Promise me you'll come back in one piece?" Amy said.

"I'll see what I can do." Zack replied grinning. Amy smiled slightly. "That's what I like to see." Zack walked out the door and shut it behind him. Amy looked over to see Cream, already asleep on the bed. She sat next to Cream, a few tears running down her face. She looked at the table and saw a laptop with a sticky note on it. She walked over to it and saw that it said: Don't think I'd let you stay here and do nothing. ~Zack.

Amy smiled and opened it up. She put on one of the headsets and looked at the program that was running. It showed a bird's eye view of the city and had several modes of viewing. Heat, zoom, night vision, she could look at the city any way, and at any angle. "How does he find the time to do this..." Amy said to herself.

Zack motioned for the others to crouch and follow him. They all made their way to the window, and Zack looked out. The city was practically in ruins. Monsters patrolled everywhere. They looked like slightly smaller versions of the Werehog that Sonic used to be, only their coloring was similar to Zack's.

Zack opened the door slowly and they all stalked outside and found cover. Zack turned back to them. "Okay. Here's the plan. We're going to split into several groups. The Sneaking Squad, Squad 1, The Assault Squad, Squad 2, and The Sniper Squad, Squad 3. Squad 1 includes: Rouge and Blaze, Squad 2 is me and Sonic, and Squad 3 is Shadow. Squad 1's job is to sneak through the city, and make it to the portal in the center. Squad 2's objective is to smash through the monsters to make a distraction for Squad 1. Squad 3's mission is to give cover fire to Squad 1 and 2. Got it?" Everyone nodded. "Alright. I'm going to issue each of you a Chaos Emerald. You can use them to your advantage. Squad 1, they should be able to make you invisible for a short time. Shadow, you can use yours to warp if you're in a bad situation. And me and Sonic can use the extra power in a close fight. Sonic and me will fight our way to East town, and plow through the monsters there, which should cause a gap in security allowing for Squad 1 to go through West town and make it to the center where you'll plant this."

Zack held up a small bomb that could fit in the palm of his hand. "If you use these right you'll be able to make a thorough barrier that should be able to block off the portal. Shadow will meanwhile be on top of a building in Central Square that overlooks the city. This will give him plenty of space to snipe as many of the monsters as he can. Once Squad 1 has planted the bombs you can call us over the radio and Sonic and I will make our way there. Once we all meet up we'll detonate the bombs and meet back at the base. Got that?" The, now squads, nodded and they all sat next to their partners. "There's one more thing."

"What now?" Rouge said looking slightly annoyed. Zack put one hand over his headset.

"Amy?" He said.

"Hey guys." Amy said through the radio. The heroes looked surprised.

"Amy will be giving operational support. Is everyone ready?"

"Yes for god's sake!" Shadow snapped. "I've been ready since you started blabbering."

"Don't take it out on me." Zack said rolling his right eye. His left eye was now permanently shut due to the scar. "Let's move. Shadow, get to that roof top as soon as you can." Shadow nodded and teleported himself to the roof top that Zack had told him about and set up the sniper. "All right, me and Sonic will start heading East now and cause a distraction. I'll light a flare when I want you to start moving so keep an eye out. Let's go Sonic." Sonic and Zack began to run, staying low and behind cover, to East town.

Zack looked past the bush he was hiding behind and saw two monsters walking back and forth. Zack motioned for Sonic to go one way while he went another. The two split up and Zack threw a rock to distract them. One of the monsters grunted and both went to check it out. Sonic took out his Desert Eagles and shot both in the head once. The monsters dropped to the ground, dead. They bled a dark blue blood. Zack dragged the monsters into the bushes so that they wouldn't be discovered. "What should we call these things?" Sonic asked Zack as he put away his handguns.

"What about... Scarabs." Zack replied as the two began walking once more, keeping an eye out for other monsters.

"Why Scarabs?" Sonic asked as the two spotted another. Zack simply pointed to it's back as it walked the opposite way to them. It had a large white Scarab beetle tattoo on it's back. "Oh." Zack chuckled a bit when Sonic made the simple statement. Zack took a dagger out of his belt and left the sword on his back. He sneaked slowly up behind the Scarab and swiftly grabbed it and slit it's throat. Zack put the dagger on his belt once more. Now that Sonic took a close look, his dagger and sword were both in the same fashion. Both had a hilt that was shaped like a skull, a leather-bound handle, and a pure black blade.

Then again, what did he care in all honesty? Sonic continued to follow Zack in this way, hiding and stealthily taking out the Scarabs until they got a good ways East. Zack stood and admired the area around him. "I think this place'll do." Zack said. He grabbed Sonic's machine gun off his back.

"Hey! What're you?" Zack shot the machine gun wildly in the air until he had wasted the whole clip. Zack handed it back to Sonic, who was in pure shock. Sonic put the strap on him once more and turned back to Zack. "What were you thinking?!"

"I was causing a distraction. By the way, you might want to reload, it looks like we have company." Zack pointed behind Sonic, where a small army of the Scarabs were already beginning to form.

"I just can't win." Sonic said, sighing. The two stood back-to-back as Sonic reloaded the AK-47 and the Scarabs drew ever closer. When Sonic had put in the new clip Zack drew his sword.

Zack charged at one Scarab, stabbing through it completely and pulling the sword out, the Scarab fell to the ground and the others began to make a circle around them. Sonic shot several of them and the two hedgehogs ran to a small store and rolled through the window. They took refuge behind several racks of groceries. Scarabs smashed through the wall. Zack charged out once more. Sonic hid in the back and shot at them while Zack hacked and slashed at the Scarabs.

After about 5 minutes and many Scarabs, Zack dodged past them and got outside. He lit a flare which burned a bright red, and raised it into the sky. It shot out a few balls of burning light before emptying and Zack threw it. Most Scarabs turned towards Zack giving Sonic a chance to take a few cheap shots at them. They then turned to Sonic letting Zack slash at them. This kept up for a moment until the monsters howled which created a strong wind. Sonic and Zack held on to whatever was nearby. "Bad breath and a tiny brain, not a good combo." Zack said waving a hand in front of his face and looking disgusted. Sonic chuckled and shot the last of his clip at the Scarabs.

"Never good eh?" The two laughed at the monsters. Scarab after Scarab howled gruesomely. And attacked. One jumped at Zack but was shot in the head from behind. Sonic and Zack heard a voice over the radio.

"Don't think I'd leave you hanging." Shadow said to them. Sonic reloaded.

"It's about time man." He said. The three hedgehogs continued their efforts until almost all of the surrounding Scarabs. Zack gave Sonic the signal and the two rushed through the monsters and headed towards the center of town.

Rouge and Blaze had made their way to Central Square without much resistance. Amy had told them where to plant the bombs and they did so. "Sonic and Zack should be there soon. Find a hiding place, Shadow will keep an eye out for you." Amy told the girls over the radio. Blaze hid in a bush while Rouge flew into a tree. "You know, I never thought those little plant arrangements, and trees, in the city really added to the atmosphere but they make good hiding places don't they?" Amy said sarcastically after seeing where Blaze and Rouge hid over the map.

"You're telling me." Rouge replied.

Zack and Sonic arrived at Central Square and the girls came out and greeted them. "Hey girls. Alright let's get out of here and when we're at a safe distance we'll detonate them."

"Guys..." Amy said over the radio.

"Uh oh, what now?" Sonic asked, a bit worried.

"Look to the West." The four fighters looked in the very direction and what they saw made their blood run cold. Hoard after hoard of Scarabs awaited them.

"Guys!" Shadow said in a desperate voice.

"What's up?!" Zack replied through the headset.

"I've got company! I'm pulling out!"

"Shadow, how long can you hold out?" Zack asked. They needed more time.

"2... maybe 3 minutes." Shadow replied.

"Damn. It'll do. Pull out only when it's absolutely necessary." Zack said. "We need that cover fire." Zack drew his sword. "Sonic, hand me one of those Desert Eagles." Sonic pulled one of the pistols out of it's holster and set it in Zack's hand. "I want you guys to move towards base, me and Shadow will hold out as long as we can."

"Got it." Sonic replied. He motioned for the others to follow him and they ran towards base at full speed. Sonic knew not to mess with Zack.

"Alright you ugly bastards." Zack said leaning on his sword. "Which one of you wants to be first?"

Indeed.

Next chapter will definitely be Zack and Amy's,

How shall I say this...

Special time.

Yes...

Read and review or I will kill you.

Simple as that.

I will come to your house, and I will cut you!


	7. Chapter 7 Lord of War

Hey guys.

So I've made a big decision for the story.

The sex scene is being cut entirely.

Through the consult of a few friends I decided against it.

Anyway, on with the story.

Zack watched each Scarab's movements separately, trying to predict every possible scenario. He put his hand with the Desert Eagle over his headset. "Shadow. I'm going to count down from 5. When I get to 0, shoot."

"Roger." Shadow replied. Shadow quickly looked behind his back. The door was beginning to give away. He had barred it up but it wouldn't last much longer.

Zack eyed one of the large beasts. "5..." He readied. "4..." Zack took his stance. "3...2...1...0!" The shot erupted and a Scarab fell. The others howled and charged at Zack. Zack backed away, shooting them with the Desert Eagle. Shadow shot several before having to reload.

"I probably have time for one more clip, then I'm going to have to get out of here." Shadow said, reloading.

"Gotcha." Zack said, finishing the last of his clip. He threw the D.E. And hit a Scarab in the head, before charging in. The monsters surrounded him, Zack had to be constantly turning. Turn, slash, turn, stab, slash, turn. It kept up for a while, Zack slowly being worn down with the constant flow of them. Shadow finished his clip and the door broke down. Shadow, acting quickly, threw a smoke grenade and teleported to another rooftop nearby.

"I have to pull out Zack, you gonna be okay?" Zack sliced through a Scarab, breathing hard.

"Yeah... Just go." Zack said. Shadow teleported once more, fearing for Zack's life. Zack was knocked onto the ground. The Scarabs drawing ever closer.

Zack sat there. Face to the ground. And all of his emotions, anger, pain, sorrow, fear, fused with his very being. Zack released a huge amount of energy, causing a shock wave big enough to knock all of the Scarabs back. When Zack stood, he was no longer the same person. His spikes had grown in length, his hands had grown claws, he looked much like Xander had. His right eye's pupil was entirely black. His right eye had opened, it's pupil white, the rest of it black. Zack threw his sword and dagger to the ground beside him. He smiled devilishly. He cracked his neck and walked to the nearest Scarab. Zack picked it up by it's head, as if it were nothing, and squeezed as hard as he could. The monster's head caved in and it stopped struggling, it's limbs hanging limply by it's sides. Zack dropped it and watched the other monster's run. He smiled and chuckled. And heard clapping.

He looked behind him and saw the Jester. "Very nice Zack." He said. "I finally managed to bring out this form." Zack grew angrier.

"What do you mean, this form?" Zack said. He stopped and listened to his own voice echo. It sounded nothing like him.

"Well you see, those blood rubies ate into your body, into your soul. They found the Zero Emerald and latched onto it. Each one added a little more hatred, a little more anger, into the Emerald you've worked so hard to keep pure. For you see, once the Emerald realizes that you are too pure for it's now dark form, it will find the most evil, dark, person it can. The Emerald chose you for a reason Zack. You had no anger, no frustration, no sadness. That is why when it was absorbed by Xander, it changed him so drastically."

"So." Zack said. "You're plan is to seize hold of the Zero Emerald. And for what goal ultimately?"

"A very nice question Zack." Jester said, walking closer to him. The Jester leaned in so close that their noses were practically touching. "Revenge." He said just loud enough for Zack to hear. Zack swiped at him but the Jester ducked, easily avoiding it, and backed away. "Zack, you've been a good boy. You've done everything I'd hoped. Now would you mind giving the Emerald to me?" The Jester held out his hand. Zack grabbed it and spun the Jester in a circle before throwing him into the side of a building.

Jester sat in a small crater made in the building from the force of the throw. Zack sped to him, grabbed him, and removed his mask. Under it, he saw dark violet eyes, bright green fur, and a covering over the mouth. He tore it off and found found a small mouth with a fang sticking out of the bottom right corner. It looked just like... "Dylan?" Zack said. He released his grip immediately. Zack fell back onto the ground as did Dylan. "Dylan... How... Why?"

"I have no reason to answer you Zack. I have more important things to do." Dylan said.

"Zack!" Zack looked behind him and saw Axel. "Am I late?" Axel looked over at Dylan. "Hey is that," Zack nodded, grimly. In a darker voice Axel said, "Then is he," Zack nodded once more. Axel stared at Dylan. "YOU LITTLE PUNK!" Axel yelled. He grabbed Dylan by the throat and raised him into the air, punching him repeatedly in the stomach. Zack grabbed Axel and threw him to the ground.

"AXEL! Give him a chance to explain!" Zack said, looking furious at Axel. Axel sat up and looked briefly at Zack before looking back to Dylan.

"Well? Got anything to say in your defense?" Axel said, standing.

"I so hate to repeat myself." Dylan said dusting himself off. "I have no reason to answer you. Now the Zero Emerald if you would be so kind." Dylan held out his hand once again. Axel pulled a Colt Python Magnum out of his coat pocket and handed it to Zack. Zack looked at it.

Dylan found himself staring down the gun's barrel. Zack looked sad. Dylan grinned. "Alright Zack. Do it. Put a bullet through your sweet, innocent, little brother's head. I dare you." The shot was fired. Dylan fell to the ground. Zack put the gun by his side and reached inside himself, pulling out the Zero Emerald and returning to his white-furred self. Zack's left eye shut once more. His other eye was full of tears. He began walking away. Axel looked back at Dylan's limp body once more before following.

Zack made it to his house and shut the door. Axel followed him to the secret room. When he saw everyone they looked first relieved, then surprised, then sad. "What..." Amy begun. Zack put his hand over her mouth and shook his head. He needed a moment of silence. Zack sat at the table and set the Zero Emerald on the table, as well as the magnum. He sat with his head hanging low, facing the ground.

"Both of my brothers.... Dead by my own hand." Zack said. He took off his gloves and looked at his hands. Zack turned to the Zero Emerald. "This thing," He picked it up. "Has caused me so much grief, so much pain. And for what?" He looked at it. The Emerald was growing slowly more black. "Why me?"

"Zack." Axel stood. "You were chosen for a reason. The gods knew you were the most pure person they could possibly find, so they gave it to you. The gods themselves knew that they couldn't keep it away from the evils trying to get it, so they entrusted it to you. Do you really want to let them down now?" Zack looked at him.

"Yeah. You're right. I started this, now I'm gonna finish it." Zack stood and put his gloves back on. The others followed him as he walked outside. Dylan stood not far from the door. The right half of his face was covered in blood but there was no bullet wound. The Scarab army was behind him.

"You didn't think I'd die that easy did you?"

"You know," Zack said pulling out the magnum. "This is much like a story I heard. A man stole the sun from the gods, and was forever punished."

"Yes but it was all to bring light to his people." Dylan responded. He snapped his fingers and the Scarabs began to draw closer. Zack threw the Zero Emerald into the air which drew everyone's attention.

"Keep your eyes on the prize!" Zack said shooting several Scarabs. He dumped the shells out of the gun and caught the Zero Emerald. "Hey Axel?" Zack asked.

"Yeah?"

"You got any extra ammo?" Axel chuckled.

"Only one shot my friend."

"It'll do." Zack said. Axel threw him the shell and he caught it. He loaded it into the gun and spun the chambers. "Maybe it'll be my lucky one." Zack put the gun into his pocket and took his stance. "One-on-one?" Zack asked, almost mockingly.

"Of course." Dylan replied. He clapped his hands and the Scarabs retreated back to the city.

"Do you guys mind?" Zack asked, looking at his friends. They shook their heads. Zack walked up to Amy and hugged her tightly. In her ear he whispered, "No matter what happens, I'll come back to you." He kissed her and walked towards Dylan. Zack threw the Zero Emerald into the air and caught it once more.

"Ready now?" Dylan asked.

"You betcha." Zack replied cockily.

Dylan wasted no time, and drew two daggers from his cloak, and charged at Zack. Zack used the magnum to block his attacks. Zack dodged one slash, pushed Dylan off balance, and went on the offensive. Zack grabbed Dylan by the back of his head and his right shoulder and threw him to the ground. Dylan dropped his daggers which Zack kicked away. Zack swung his heel at the back of Dylan's head but Dylan rolled to the side. Zack dropped the Zero Emerald behind him and grinned.

"This is actually kinda fun you know that?" Zack said. Dylan was breathing hard while Zack looked fine.

Dylan charged again but Zack sidestepped and push him off balance once more. Zack swept Dylan's leg and he fell once more. Zack stood looming over him. "You've got no technique, you know that D?" Both pulled out guns and pointed them at each other. A few seconds felt like an eternity. Dylan shot but Zack ducked just before it. Zack pushed Dylan's gun back and snapped his finger. Zack took the gun and dropped the magazine. He threw it and pointed the magnum at him once more. "Bang." Zack said, and pulled the trigger. Dylan fell back, his blood splattered on the ground. Zack picked up the Zero Emerald and reabsorbed it. "Come back any time. I'll be waiting." Zack said. Everyone walked back inside. Not long after, Dylan got up and flew away after regaining his dragon-like wings. The Scarabs all disappeared. Life took a turn for the better.

As Zack laid in his bed that night, he knew that he had learned an important lesson.

Everything Burns.

Alright!

The epic battle is finished.

There will be one chapter after this which will be a prologue.

Look for that and my next story.  
It'll probably be another Sonic OC story.


	8. Chapter 8 Prologue

The final chapter.

Also, I would recommend listening to every song I listed if you like rock.

And also Good Vibrations if you're more into rap or pop.

(The first part of this will be written as Zack's diary.)  
_________

_December 27, We're having a late Christmas today. Everyone loved their gifts. You wouldn't believe what Amy got me! It was Xander's old sword, with "No matter what happens, I'll come back to you." Chisled into it. I nearly cried at the sight. I spent all day yesterday thinking about Dylan and Xander. The Zero Emerald re purified over the day and it's back to normal now. The citizens and us are helping to rebuild the city, and everything seems to be going well. Our concert is tomorrow. Oh and Axel gave me a book he recovered from who knows where. He said it would do something that I couldn't possibly thank him for. I still haven't cracked it open, but I plan to before our show. I wonder..._

Zack walked downtown in a great mood. He had his microphone and mic stand in a case on his back. He had opened the book just before he left. It had been full of weird symbols. He figured he'd do some more research on it later. When he got to the stage, all of his friends were sitting at tables nearby and the band was setting up. Amy ran up and hugged him. "Aren't we affectionate today?" Zack said. Amy's face was filled with tears of joy.

"Thank you so much Zack." She said, hugging him tighter. The others ran up and hugged him as well.

"Geez guys, what did I do that's so amazing?" He asked. Axel was leaning against a wall not far away, grinning. Zack looked at Axel, who pointed to the tables. Over there were... Silver, Tails, Big, and Knuckles. Zack's eyes opened wide. He looked at Axel who gave him the thumbs up and walked away. "Hold up for a sec guys." Zack squirmed out of their grip and ran after Axel. When he caught up he grabbed Axel. "Dude, do you mean that book," Axel nodded. The two high fived and grinned. "How in god's name did you find it?" Zack asked.

"That's for me to know, and you to... Well... Not know." Axel replied. Both laughed.

"Hey Axel?" Zack asked.

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you for one more favor?" Zack asked.

"Dude, I brought your friends back to life, is that not enough for you?" Axel said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, but you play cello right?" Zack asked.

"Uh huh, why?" Axel replied.

"Well, there's a certain song I want to play and I need a cello."

"Yeah man, for sure. I'll be back in a bit." Axel ran in the direction of his hotel where he was staying. Zack smiled.

"Oh shit!" Zack exclaimed. "I forgot my guitar!" He ran back to the stage. "Guys I," Rory held up his guitar. "Oh. Phew. Thanks dude."

"No prob." Rory answered, finishing his bass tuning. Zack hooked up his guitar and mic, tuned the guitar, and put it around himself.

"Let's rock."

The band walked out on stage and the crowd that had gathered cheered for them. They began with Journey's: Stone in Love. Rory's favorite song. Finishing that, they moved into Roxanne by The Police. Julie's favorite song. And onto You're Gonna Go Far Kid by The Offspring. Johnny's favorite song. They took a moment to change the setup. Axel got there with his cello, Amy came on stage with a violin, Zack put away his guitar, Rory brought out a special drum and a church bell, and Johnny worked sound affects and the piano. Their final song was Viva la Vida by Coldplay. Zack's all time favorite song and favored by the other band members. The song was chosen for several reasons. It was Zack's favorite, the band liked it, and it expressed Zack's feelings about what had happened. When they finished the crowd cheered harder then ever. Everyone stood backstage.

"Well guys?" Zack asked. "Encore?" They all nodded. Amy sat back in the audience and Zack came on stage to announce that they would be having an encore. They completely changed the setup. Johnny was working affects and the records, Rory and Axel were dancers, and Zack and Julie were singing. It was the only rap/pop song that the entire band agreed was good. Good Vibrations by Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch. Zack came on the stage singing. The song brought everyone out of their chairs.

"C'mon, anybody, everybody, scream! C'mon swing it. C'mon swing it. C'mon swing it. C'mon swing it. 1! Aw, yeah, aw yeah. 2! Get them hands in the air! 3! Pump your fists, like, this!" Julie came on, singing her part. The crowd went wild through the rest of the song.

The band went backstage, laughing and high-fiving each other. "That was great!" Rory said.

"You're tellin' me!" Zack said to him. "This has got to have been our best show ever!" The band packed up and said their goodbyes. Zack brought his friends over to his house and they had a huge party. It was pretty late by the time everyone had left. Amy had fallen asleep on his couch. Zack didn't have the heart to wake her. He put a blanket over her and kissed her on the head. Zack lied down on his bed and slowly fell asleep with visions of a new, happier, life.

WOOT!  
Finished the story and included some of my favorite songs.

I hope you all enjoyed Zack's Return, and watch for my next fanfic.


End file.
